A Year in the Life
by MissWorded
Summary: A collection of character vignettes, based on holidays. Genres range from romance to drama to humor to angst. [Chapter Eleven : Taiiku no Hi : Urizane]
1. Year I : Oshogatsu : Ryuhou

**Oshogatsu : Ryuhou **  
_**New Year's Day**  
January First _

They fluttered around, complimenting his father on the lovely decorations. The beautiful plum trees that adorned each side of every door. The genuine pine garlands, specially engineered to not shed. Bamboo stalks, tall and proud, anywhere they could be displayed. Ryutaisen was trying to forget _her_.

Only eight o'clock.

He suddenly noticed how annoyed he was. It was so _loud_. Everyone was talking to him, speaking to him, wouldn't _be quiet. _There was no end to the line of people.

"I am very sorry for your loss."

"If there's anything I can do..."

"How are you holding up?"

"You were very close, I'd imagine."

"I'm always there if you need to talk to me, okay?"

"It's a shame. She was a lovely person."

"Happy new year."

He looked up in slight surprise. No one had addressed him before without mentioning _her_. Acknowledging her death.

"You know, the celebration of a new year traditionally means putting the past behind us. Letting go of things done and over with." The stranger seemed strangely reminiscent, gazing into nothing. Little Ryuhou, captivated, watched him snap back to the present, his own aura of formality melding with a business-like attitude to create a mutable personality. One that could manipulate and control, or preside over and supervise. He couldn't quite decide which he would turn out to be.

"Do you like to help people, Ryuhou?"

"Yes, sir." His answer was, as always, polite but frigid.

"What would you do if I said you could help people? If you could help people by getting rid of rogue Alter-Users, just like the ones who so viciously killed your mother?"

_"What did you say!"_ He said, trying not to yell, but still earning several stares.

"Talk to your father. Then call me." The stranger said suddenly, handing him a little slip of card stock before striding confidently out the door. Ryuhou traced the little numbers and characters on the card, memorizing them on the spot.

**Martin Jigmar**

_Putting the past behind us..._

Enough of mourning, or even pretending not to. It was time to make a move.

* * *

Okies, well, here's a seasonal story. There will be nine or ten total, I believe, all in chronological order. All of them will be vignettes revolving around a character, with the theme of a Japanese holiday. I've got about four or five done now, and the rest are in progress. And it'll end with Christmas! See? It all works, ne? So tell me what ya think! 

**_Next time:_** Ayase Terada celebrates Girl's Festival on March Third.


	2. Year I : Momo no Sekku : Ayase

**Momo no Sekku : Ayase Terada**

_**Peach Blossom Festival**_

_March the Third__  
_

Ayase yawned; stretching, she glanced out of the hole in the wall that cheapskate Kunihiko called a "window". That stupid kid was a year younger than she was; yet, he always seemed to rip her off and get away with it. Ah, well. Today was a new day.

Today. New - but regular, ordinary, old-fashioned.

_Hopefully, Akira won't get sick today..._

He was only seven, and already so weak. She was just fourteen - worse yet, she was expected to take care of all of his worldly needs. _Who else is gonna do it, hm, Aya-chan? _sneered a voice in her head. _Nobody else gives a damn._

Aw, shut up, she told it menacingly. Even you can't ruin my day today. Today is average, today is usual. Today _doesn't matter_ on the grand, cosmic scale. So there.

Akira is fine. Akira was _never _not fine. We don't have financial difficulties. I'm not selling myself to barely scoot by every month -

She stopped herself there.

"Oi, Ayase!" called a voice from outside. "You here?"

Her entire demeanor at once brightened. Akiko was here. She could always cheer her up. Getting up, she rushed to the front door, swung it open and -

"Whoa! Where'd you get that?" asked Ayase in hushed awe, staring in wonder at her friend. Instead of wearing her old jeans and a shirt, Akiko had donned an exquisitely beautiful sky blue kimono, complete with floating peach blossoms that matched her obi perfectly and cream-colored birds, chirping forever. The fabric was shabby and worn, though cleanly. Ayase felt suddenly out of place and informal. She was thankful that Akiko had kept her ever-present bandanna glued to her head. That was at least a bit of normalcy.

"W-what's going on?"

Akiko grinned at her. "Today is the day of the Peach Blossom festival!"

"The peach trees aren't even in bloom right now. Why is it called that?"

Akiko thought for a moment, then glared at her. "Aw, shut up Ayase! C'mon with me."

"OW! Don't hold my arm that tight!"

"Then stop struggling!"

"Don't be such a jerk!"

They argued their way over to Akiko's house, where her mother (a whopping four foot five) greeted her with a warm hug.

"Ayase-chan! It's so good to see you," cooed Akina gently. "Come in! We've made you something."

"W-what?" When she finally feasted her eyes upon, they lit up like lamps. "Ooh," she gasped. "Oh my..."

It was a beautiful yukata, a pink-red confection of cotton with a pattern of bunnies with blue eyes and cherry blossoms on it. She saw the obi draped over the chair – it was pure white.

"Well, Ayase-chan, since you don't have parents to celebrate with, I decided to make you join in our party today," said Akiko with an embarrassed face. She studied her feet intently while her mother laughed. "You know, she saved up all her pocket money since last year, when she saw you alone on the day of the Peach Blossom Festival. When I heard about it, I just had to help as well! So we saved up any extra money we could, and here we are!" Akino smiled at her. "I still have a set of dolls my mother owned. Would you like to see?"

Ayase couldn't speak for a moment, before bursting out. "Oh, yes please!" She seemed such like a younger child that Akino laughed. "Excellent! Come with us. And don't you worry about Akira, he's having a Boy's Day Out with my husband and Akeno, okay? Now, these dolls have been passed down in our family from generation to generation..."

_-  
-  
-_

_What irony_, thought Ayase Terada, water surrounding her, _That I should remember the happiest day of my life on the day of my death..._

**

* * *

Momo no Sekku is more commonly known as Hina Matsuri, Doll Festival. Also called Girl Day or Princess Day. A girl collects dolls and displays them. This holiday celebrates a hopefully long and successful life for the girl being celebrated. **

**Next time: Elian celebrates... Boy's Festial on May... something. Eh, tune in next chapter.   
**


	3. Year I : Kodomo no Hi : Elian

**Kodomo no Hi : Elian**

_**Boy's Festival**_

_May Fifth_

Elian watched the man and his little boy, both decked out in traditional garb, laughing happily together outside their house. Banners shaped like carp with streamers attached, and very colorful, hung from their porch. Through the wide open front door, he could barely make out a collection of samurai dolls, stacked on shelves in a special display case. He imagined what the father might be thinking.

Please - let me my son live a happy, successful life.

**Stop thinking about it. You're supposed to be on duty.**

_Hey, I'm only ten! I wasn't cut out to be a User._

**You have a responsibility to your father. If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't even be here.**

_He doesn't seem to care about me, anyway!_

**Your father is a very important man. He is very busy. He has to run HOLY all by himself. **

Elian really didn't have anything to say to that, so he just went about his business collecting information. He really didn't know what to do. His father didn't seem to give a damn what happened to him. He was just a burden. _Martin _could just do without him hanging around. There was only one way out of his predicament.

He would run away. Go live in the Wastelands, so aptly named. A place that existed for lost, lonely little boys. He made his plans and began to pack.

* * *

He had found him, of course. How could he not? The silly little boy...

Elian was curled up in between the juncture of the rock and the ground. Sleeping soundly, one could plainly see the childish features of his small face. Bittersweetly, his features, while childlike and peaceful, were also gaunt with hunger. He was bruised and cut in several places. All this damage, in just one day... Shaking his head, the older man gently picked the kid up. Elian stirred.

"F-father?"

He smiled a big smile, one filled with watermelon. "No dice kid, but my name's Urizane, and I'll do just as well."


	4. Year I : Tanabata Matsuri : Mimori

**Tanabata Matsuri : Mimori Kiryu**  
_**Star Festival**  
July Seventh_

Mimori Kiryu was eating her lunch calmly, contemplating her afternoon assignments. _So much to do..._

"Excuse me, Mimori-san?"

"Yes, Scheris?"

The girl was hesitantly looking at her, searching for the right words to say. "Umm... I was wondering if you'd tell me the story of Tanabata Matsuri? Cougar said something about a virgin sacrifice and a giant gorilla, but I really don't think that's right..."

It took a great deal of self control not to burst out laughing. "Ah, no, it's not. But I would be happy to tell you." She began with all the necessary theatrical pomp and circumstance. "Once upon a time..."

-  
-  
-  
-

"Hey! Mimori-san!"

_Ichida-san?_

His brown eyes laughed at her surprised look, but he stayed calm. "Hey there, Mimori-san! I haven't seen you since that gala for Uncle... I'm surprised Kiryu-sama let you come to Tanabata at all! How are you studies going?"

She smiled with a touch of indulgence. "Just fine. And yours?"

"The same. Hey... would you mind terribly... telling me the story of Tanabata again?"

"Ah, okay... **Once upon a time...**"

**  
**

**... There was a Weaver-Girl goddess named Orihime. She did not thing but weave all day. Soon, the god of the sky, Ten-Kou, grew worried for his daughter. So he introduced her to the Shepard across the Milky Way, Hikoboshi. They fell in love very easily, and soon they spent all of their time together. They spent so much time together that the gods had no more new clothes, and the animals began to wander. **

Mimori gazed upon the scene of the traditional festival as she related her story, grinning at her luck. The past few years, her father had declared her "too busy" with schoolwork to visit Tokyo for the Tanabata Matsuri, but this year had been different. This year she had wheedled and coaxed and charmed her way there, instead of silently accepting her father's decision.

_Such a clear night... _she thought, filled with alcohol-induced wonderment. (Sake really was better in small quantities.) The stars were so brilliant...

"Mimori-san? Moshi moshi?"

"Oh! My apologies." She took a breath. "**This upset Ten-Kou very much**"

**So angry was he that he ordered the Milky Way itself to separate them permanently. However, this did not fix the problem. The two lovers were so sad, they didn't finish their responsibilities any more successfully than before.**

**Ten-Kou felt very sorry, but couldn't have the two of them slacking off. So, he had a bridge built. Once a year, every year, the stars of the Milky Way would recede, just enough for the bridge to emerge and for the two lovers to meet once a year. **

"So each year, Orihime and Hikoboshi strive to finish their chores to completeness, so that when the time comes agaom, the skies would be clear, and they could meet again." Mimori finished, a dreamy look in her eyes. Her gaze slid to Ichida, who was watching her in a curious way. He was leaning towards her, his cheeks were flushed red, and –

Ichida kissed her.

The world didn't slow; there were no fireworks; time didn't stop for a moment, and there were no angelic choirs.

Ichida had just kissed her, and all she could think of was Ryuhou.

-  
-  
-  
-

"...so that when the time came, the skies would be clear, and they could meet again." She finished quietly, a reminiscent gaze in her eyes.

"How very poetic, Minori-san! So inspiring, so wonderful, so romantic, so –"

"Yeah, yeah, Cougar, we get the point –"

"Oh, _can it_, watermelon man –"

"Guys, guys –"

"Stay out of it, Elian!"

"Wasn't it _dreamy,_ Master?"

"Oh yes, girls..."

"Mimori-san... moshi moshi?"

"Oh, sorry about that! I guess I just... spaced out for a moment."

Scheris smiled. "It seems you've gotten a larger audience! Thank you for telling me. I really didn't think Cou – oh, hey Ryuhou!"

Mimori turned around slowly, ready to face any complaint he threw at her.

"Kiryu-san, do you realize that you're dist -"

Ignoring his complaints, she leaned in quickly and kissed him on the cheek. Mimori pulled back and observed his shocked countenance. She also noted, with a slight smirk, that he was blushing.

"Happy Tanabata, Ryuhou."

* * *

Merry Christmas! 

And yes, Scheris' comment about giant gorillas is a shameless plug for King Kong. Go see it!


	5. Year I : Kinro Kansha no Hi : Kanami

**

* * *

Kanami Yuta : Kinro Kansha no Hi**  
_**Labor Thanksgiving Day**  
November 23

* * *

_

_He's not here. Again!_

The eight-year-old scowled into the distance as she carried the large basket of straw into the barn. _That idiot! He promised!_

But he _always_ promised. Why was she so surprised? He'd never adjust to an honest living like farming.

Kazuma had indeed promised to be at the farm today. However, he was also nowhere to be seen. _Jerk! I even had Ayame-san make special arrangements for him. He'll never change!_

Even as she complained mentally, she sighed out loud, wishing he could just be reliable for once. Once! Would it kill him?

"Hey there, Kanami-chan. Missing your significant other?"

"You bet, Ayame-san. He promised, but he still didn't show up. I just can't believe him sometimes... and on today of all days!"

"Yes, men can be unreliable like that! How about we go fix you a cup of hot chocolate before our dinner?" Every year, at around the same time, all the farm workers got together and make a huge dinner, in celebration of another year survived. It had originated from an older holiday observed on the Mainland.

Casting one last long glance at the quickly setting sun, she sighed, turned around, and smiled at Ayame. "Okay."

-  
-  
-  
-  
-

Kazuma, beaten but victorious, stepped out of Kimishima's car, hours after Kanami's conversation with Ayame. Making sure he looked relatively cleanly (for Kanami's sake and for the sake of his heath; Ayame would probably beat him if he got blood on her tablecloth), he strode into the large, warehouse-type building confidently. "Hey, Kanami, you still he – OUCH! DAMMIT!" A frying pan aimed straight for his face hit its target beautifully. "What the hell - ?"

An older, slightly frumpy woman shook a fist at him. "Don't you dare come in here like you own the place! If you expect any food, you better apologize right now!"

He mumbled something. "What was that?"

"I SAID, I'm sorry I have to work for such a grumpy old hag like _you, _Ayame!" he yelled at her. Kanami gasped.

"Kazu-kun! That was so mean! Please apologize. Please?"

"FINE! I'm sorry that I was here late –"

"And that you never showed up for work."

"-AND that I never showed up for work –"

"And that you called Ayame-san a... a... bad name."

"-AND that I called Ayame a HAG."

Kanami looked at him. "Was that so hard?"

He mumbled something again, but this time he was allowed to sit down without being bludgeoned by a cooking implement. Forking some mashed potatoes onto his plate, he looked at the smiling Kanami irately. "_What_?"

"Thanks, Kazu-kun."

He looked away. "Yeah, yeah. Just eat your food."

She smiled again. True, he probably wouldn't change. But some things were good just the way they were.

* * *

No, I'm not dead. 

Ah, yes. I luff da shameless fluff, even if it's not RxM.


	6. Year II : Seijin no Hi : Scheris

Because Scheris needs a better backstory damn it! 

**

* * *

Seijin no Hi : Scheris Adjani**  
_**Coming of Age Day**  
Second Monday of January_

_

* * *

_

Scheris Adjani remembered that her aunt's was the first Coming of Age Day party she ever went to.

It wasn't exactly a five-star event, she reflected ruefully. No, the halls of HOLY had been cleaner and newer and simply _better _than any place she'd ever lived or even been before. But... but it was certainly lavish for their money situation at the time. Besides, in her five-year-old mind, clean tablecloths seemed like luxury.

Estelle Sakamoto was the prized middle child of the family, because she was the only one "who hadn't completely screwed up her life", as her father had said, glaring at her Estelle's sister – her mother - the entire while. It was somewhat true; Trinette, the youngest, had fallen into downward spiral of drug and alcohol abuse, overdosing more than once, constantly asking for money from her parents and siblings; her own mother, Valerie, the oldest, had landed herself an abusive second husband and more debt than she could handle.

Estelle, on the other hand...

Estelle was perfect. She had the looks, she had the smarts, and she had the determination and the initiative to work herself out of her low social and economic status. She put herself through high school in the City while simultaneously working three jobs to pay for said education. She had been granted a scholarship on the mainland by her final year in high school, but couldn't go until she was twenty.

It seemed that at that age, Estelle was at the height of her life, brimming with confidence and the excitement of seeing something besides the endless wasteland of the Lost Ground. She was so different from the rest of her family – the downtrodden, the oppressed, the hopeless, the meek... Estelle was amazing in her little eyes, a bright shining star she would always yearn to reach, a pinnacle she wanted to climb to. That was why the Coming of Age Day was so special to her. The second Monday of January always had a precious place in her heart because Coming of Age meant utter perfection.

"Here, Cherisa," she said with a soft smile, leaning down to pat her niece on the head. "I want you to have this hair clip. My mother gave it to me when I was just a little girl, and now I want you to have it. Give it to some little girl you meet on your own Coming of Age Day."

Cherisa Aoishita didn't want to say with her family, watch her mother abused daily and her sisters cower in the closet. She didn't want to keep making dinner while her mother choked back sobs on the floor of the kitchen. She didn't want to stay in that hellhole for the rest of her days.

Her prayer was soon answered, but not in the way she would have wanted it to be.

She was thirteen. She was walking home from the local vendor where her father had ordered her to buy more bread. ("And don't come back unless it's not rotten, got it?") Fresh food was something of a commodity at times. She heard something in the alley.

"Hello?" Cherisa called out tentatively. "Anybody there?"

And then he lunged: like a predator, the hunger-starved man attempted to dive at her bread, missing and instead leaping upon her. She was about to let him have it, just to get him to leave, but then she realized what a beating she would get if she came home without money _and _bread. They tossed and turned into the alley and then to the street and back again. In the end, he was standing over her kneeling, heaving form, grinning madly at her with famine-crazed eyes. His hand flew out to club her across the head –

It was over-over-over, it wouldn't matter any more, she would never get out of that house, that wretched house, she would never get her Coming of Age Day party –

She didn't know it, but her hand was glowing. Almost without thought, she raised it in self-defense, where her hand should have hit his stomach.

Instead, it went through his skin directly into his stomach. Suddenly, Cherisa felt very faint, as if all the energy in her and all the adrenaline pumping from the fight were drained in the course of a few seconds. She had no idea what was happening until she felt his blood on her neck, blood that he had just coughed up.

_I... am an Alter User...?_

-

Yes, Scheris remembered everything quite clearly. She remembered coming home, finding her father holding a thick pipe in his hands, warning her against coming any closer. She remembered running away from the house, sprinting away from that awful place. She remembered finding out later that her aunt Trinette had been trailing her according to her father's wishes in exchange for drug money. After a few months of moping and starving, she remembered changing her name from Cherisa Aoishita to Scheris Adjani. Scheris was simply a form of Cherisa, and Adjani was the name of a candy she had always eaten at her grandparents' house. She wanted to start anew. After that...

Basically, she had wandered around, usually begging for food and taking shelter where she could.

The year of her fourteenth birthday, she remembered spying on a Coming of Age Day party. It wasn't much more glamorous than Estelle's, but it was obviously extravagant for the financial circumstances the family had been dealt. They were all so happy, so radiant, so excited for the handsome boy in the center of it all, who was quietly grinning and accepting praise with a humble face.

Scheris watched with soft eyes, remembering her favorite aunt. It was all so peaceful, so wonderful... nothing bad could ever happen on this day –

"Hey! Freak!"

She didn't turn her head, but her eyes moved from the party to her peripheral vision, seeing three men from the corner of he eyes. Scheris groaned.

Taka and his group of self-righteous thugs had bothered her ever since finding out about her seldom-used Alter power. Apparently, they had some sort of bad history with Alter Users or something, because they never stopped hassling her about it. It was because of these creeps and people like them that she learned how to fist-fight.

Slowly she rose, turning with poise to face them with her chin up. "What do you want?"

"Ooh, a sassy one," said a smirking crony. "What are we gonna do with her boss?"

The fight was a quick and vicious one; an unarmed girl really didn't stand a chance against four full-grown males with assorted weapons. Drowsy with pain, she was dragged to a warehouse type place that was half-immersed in the ground, an entire side ripped off by the Great Upheaval. They watched with great amusement from a booth sitting high atop the wall across from her as she struggled to get up from her wounds and fight.

"Yeah! Try again, freak!"

"Where's your Alter to save you now, huh?"

"_Shit!_"

Scheris looked up through her partially blackened eyes. She squinted against the sun to make out to people. No, a boy and his Alter.

"Are you alright?" asked the boy, looking down at her with regality fit for an Emperor, but with kindness as well.

"I...I guess," she murmured, looking up at him with wide, awe-filled eyes. "W-who...?"

"Ryuhou. Ryuhou Ryuu."

-

And that was how she had met Ryuhou, cementing in her mind how absolutely wonderful Coming of Age Day was. But that also led to her current predicament.

Did she really love Ryuhou? Really? Or was it just some girlhood fantasy of a knight in shining armor? Did she like Ryuhou because of who he was or because of where and when he was? Did she just think she was in love because he was her savior on her most precious holiday? If it had been Asuka, Cougar, or Urizane who had saved her, would she have fallen for them instead?

How could she possibly know? She needed more time, she need to mature to figure these things out. She needed to Come of Age before really making a decision...

_I'll wait... I'll wait for the second Monday of January, the year of my twentieth birthday..._

_

* * *

_ Two things that always pissed me off about s.CRY.ed: 1) not enough females 2) no backstory for females. Or any other semi-minor character (i.e. Tachibana - all we know is he never finished high school and his girlfriend is Cammy. We never find out how he meets Cammy or what happened to his family, or anything like that! That makes me angry. And you won't like me when I'm angry.) So wah-lah! Backstory!

Coming of Age Day is celebrated by 20-year-old peoples. 20 is the legal age for smoking, drinking, and voting. It's a big step. So, uh, yeah. Review, please! _  
_


	7. Year II : Valentine's Day : Cammy

Because Cammy/Asuka needs more love.

**

* * *

**

**Cammy : Valentine's Day**  
_February 14th

* * *

_

Cammy was not a shy girl.

Born and raised in the city by her liberal-feminist aunt, she had a lot of spunk and she was not afraid to show it. Usually, she was fiercely outspoken and stubborn as a mule. But right now, she was in love, so everything was different.

Her cheeks burned whenever she so much as thought of him, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him and usually hid behind something, and when she actually got the opportunity to speak with him, her knees turned to jelly and her throat closed up.

Not that she saw him much. After all, her aunt was a HOLY scientist; thus, her work was highly classified. Cammy didn't see much of the workplace.

However, the brunette had stumbled across a goldmine in the form of a small restaurant called the Aoiya. Whenever he had free time (that is, every Sunday) he would go there for lunch sometime in between 11:30 and 1:45. The waitress who served there during that shift knew his usual order, which was a hamburger with all the fixings except pickles, a side order of curly fries, and a medium cola.

Not that she stalked him or anything.

Nope.

That would be weird.

Also, it would illegal.

Okay, maybe she had some (_some_) stalker-_ish_ tendencies, but she was not a "stalker"!

(At least by her definition.)

It was with a lot of courage and great deal of blushing that on Sunday the 14th of February, she approached the Aoiya with a box of handmade chocolates in her hand. She opened the glass door with trepidation, tremulous with both fear and excitement.

What if he rejected her?

Ah, but what if he discovered his undying love for her?

What if he said he'd hated her on sight?

What if he said it was kismet?

_What if he ignored her?_

She approached the loveseat he was sitting on quietly and cautiously. His back was to her, so he couldn't see her, for which she was thankful; his purple hair was just barely visible over the top of the small couch. She was getting close, oh so close, agonizing close to her goal –

When she heard _it. _

"Oh, Asuka-kun... you're the greatest ever!" cooed a feminine falsetto.

That's when Cammy noticed the other person sitting next to him. The other _girl _sitting next to him. The heartbroken girl did what most heartbroken girls would do.

She turned and ran for it.

-

When Asuka gave her chocolates a month later on White Day, told her he'd been watching her for a while and had known she frequented the Aoiya, and had been seeking her out on Valentine's Day to ask her out, only to be thwarted by an unwanted acquaintance and would she please go out with once, Cammy laughed out loud.

His face immediately went blank. "Thank you for your time, Miss Cammy. Sorry to bother you." He turned and started to walk away, walk quick and posture stiff.

Her eyes widened. He had misinterpreted completely! "Asuka! Asuka, wait up!"

She ran to his side and tugged on his sleeve imploringly. "I didn't mean it like that... I just, well, you reminded me of someone... and I really would like to go out with you, if you'd still like to..."

A happy grin appeared on his face. Cammy nearly swooned. "Yes, I would still like to." They stood for a moment, looking at each other and blushing. "Er... do I really remind you of someone?"

She mock-groaned. "Hoo boy, yes! Let's walk to the Aoiya and I'll tell you a little story about a girl I knew..."

* * *

It is the custom for girls to make homemade chocolates on Valentine's day; then on White Day, the boys give the girls stuff. Pretty sweet, huh? Haha, get it? Sweet? I love bad puns. 


	8. Year II : Shubunno no Hi : Ryutaisen

For the sensitive: blinkandyou'llmissit RM.

* * *

**Ryutaisen Ryuu : Shubun no Hi**  
_**Spring Equinox**_  
_ March 21__

* * *

_

It was a cool, misty day, heightened by the fact that it was still early morning. The graveyard was silent as grave, in quite the literally sense. He had planned his visit very carefully. He wanted no interruptions, no unwanted media. He proceeded slowly and methodically to a large obelisk of softly-colored off-white marble. It had been erected in tribute to his late and beloved wife. Stopping in front of it, he stuck his hands in his pocket and looked up at it with a long, low, world-weary sigh.

_Reiyuki Ryuu  
(2010 – 2046)  
Beloved Wife  
Adored Mother  
She Will Be Greatly Missed_

Ryutaisen Ryuu loved to think that everything had turned out for the best for Ryuhou and himself.

His son had always been the independent type. If Reiyuki had been alive, he probably would have been forbidden from joining HOLY, something that Ryuhou had dedicated his life to. It was, after all, an extremely dangerous organization. But Martin had gotten Ryuhou's errant power under control, focusing it to fine point. As of very recently, his 15-year-old had surpassed almost all of his HOLY comrades, becoming an A-rank Alter User. And as for Ryutaisen... and as for himself, he was content to live out his life comfortably, hand the estate over to Ryuhou and leave this world without a hitch. What else could he possibly wish for? What else could he possibly need? A successful son, a flourishing business venture (The Lost Ground), plenty of money...

The state of things in his world today, however, was far from the stylized series of events he had pictured in the youth of his marriage.

Everything was perfect, naturally; not a hair out of place, a feather ruffled. He was so happy during that point. He remembered so clearly, as if living in the memory at times. Reiyuki was pregnant with Ryuhou, though they hadn't decided on the name quite yet. She was very filled and pouted at the mirror every morning (something he found absolutely ridiculous). Ryutaisen remembered dreaming about what his son would be like. He had hoped little Ryuhou would look similar to him. He remembered planning out his son's future, where he would go to school as he got older and the kind of things he would excel at...

When Ryuhou had been born, it was like a dream. Ryuhou's features had obviously favored his mother's, but that was all right. He was strong and healthy, no complications or visible disabilities. He grew up with continuity of health, a bright boy, but slightly on the serious side. He had few friends. There were few other families of his economic standing in the Lost Ground.

Then the Kiryu girl came around.

Despite her genius, she wasn't a know-it-all and despite her princess status she wasn't horribly spoiled. In fact, she was quite sweet, very cheerful, and – most importantly – open-minded. She didn't care about Ryuhou's Alter power. In fact, she was amazed by it. Reiyuki spoke so animatedly about how cute they were together. After Mimori had left, Ryuhou was depressed for a while. However, with her there, he had come out of his shell quite a bit, becoming a little happier and more inclined to play rather than act so profound.

And then it happened. The shocking attack of the Mysterious Alter that had taken two lives away from Ryutaisen – his wife and his son. Gone was the semi-serious and sometimes cheerful Ryuhou he had come to love so dearly, replaced by a stone-cold replica, the coldest ten-year-old he had ever met. Gone was Reiyuki, love of his life, one who had stood by him so steadfastly and been such a kind soul. His vision of the future was shattered and rebuilt to fit his new, cynical, and jaded world.

However, he didn't let this one event rule his life. He didn't let it ruin him or his son. They carried on as if their lives had never been interrupted, never been torn asunder by cruel Fate.

That's why Ryutaisen took this one day, the Spring Equinox, to grieve. He grieved the passing of his wife, the hollow, single-mindedness of his son, the state of the Lost Ground today...

But while he grieved, he kept in mind that with spring comes the promise of new life and growth and rebirth and it was for this reason that he never lost hope.

He knew that Ryuhou would find his way, be it with HOLY or against.

* * *

I was originally going to do a piece for the Autumn Equinox in which Reiyuki came in spirit form to see how things were coming along, but I ditched it. Kind of random, but I thought you guys might like to know. Just for kicks. Like, um, special features on a DVD or something. 


	9. Year II : Umi no Hi : Akira

**Akira Terada : Umi no Hi**  
_**Ocean Day  
**July 3_

* * *

Reflections on a Sister: An Essay

By: Akira Terada

My sister is amazing.

I don't know how she does what she does, but she does it. I mean, she works three jobs just to feed me and herself, get us clothes, things like that. But she does it all with a smile on her face and a song in her heart. Like there's no other place she would ever wanna be as long as I'm here with her.

My sister is kind of like the ocean.

That's what she first reminded me of, as long as I could remember. Actually, the ocean association first came when mother would take us to the beach. She would tell us how the ocean connected everyone in the world and how it could take you almost anywhere you wanted. How, in the old days, people would sail across the world instead of fly, and how some still do. I guess that's why the description drew me to Ayase so much.

My sister is like the ocean, because it seems like she has so much _space_. Even after she gets home from her third job, she comes into the house, dragging her feet, limbs looking heavy, practically on the verge of fainting and she asks me, "Hey kiddo, up for a game of catch?" Of course, sometimes she faints right afterward, but the fact that she comes into the house asking if I wanna play ball is something of a miracle. She has so much room for me, so much extra space in her life that she forces in there just to make me happy.

My sister is like the ocean because she is so temperamental at times. Almost never with me, because I'm not stupid and when a woman's pissed off, don't get in her way. One name in particular pops up whenever I hear her viciously chopping vegetables for dinner – "Kimishima". More accurately, "that damned Kimishima", "that cheapskate Kimishima", "that asshole Kimishima"... you get the picture.

I think she likes him.

Well, I guess that's good. She needs a funny man so she can lighten up a little. And I know he's not completely legit, but hey, you can't have everything right? I wouldn't mind doing some semi-illegal stuff if it meant Ayase would get a break every-so-often. Damn, I'm rambling again. Anyway...

After mom died, we didn't go to the beach anymore.

Instead, Ayase became my ocean – she connects me back to life and to reality, forcing me to realize that I am not some weepy little invalid. I am Akira Terada, I am a person, I have hope for my future. She keeps me intertwined with life outside our apartment, forcing me to meet people and keep myself linked to the rest of the world – otherwise known as the Lost Ground. Sometimes I feel like we're worlds apart from the Mainland, universes from the other countries and continents. But anyway...


	10. Year II : Taiiku no Hi : Urizane

**Taiiku no Hi : Urizane**

_**Health and Sports Day**_

_Second Monday of October_

"Guys, look who it is!"

The small, round-faced boy looked up from his bag lunch listlessly. His shoulders hunched when the ringleader pointed at him.

"Hey fatty, had enough food today?"

"Hey ugly, your momma pack you two tons or just one today?"

"Hey momma's boy, should we grab the lard just incase you get stuck in the door again?"

The bell rang. He was saved!

He noticed the other boys still looking at him, smirking. Then he suddenly realized -

It was time for gym.

There were many things he was teased for at school. One, the fact that his mother was a single parent. Two, the fact that his skin was darker than everyone else's skin. Three, the fact that he was fat. Why were all the other kids so cruel? It's not like he could help it. That was just the way he was.

But the thing he detested most about school was physical education, where the teacher ordered him to display all his insecurities and weaknesses for the world to see. And today was dodge ball.

Wonderful.

There was really nothing worse than dodge ball, because every other kid ganged up on him. The teacher usually let them, or just wasn't paying attention, or couldn't keep track of all the kids because of the chaos in their gymnasium.

"Hey…"

One. He winced as the ball caught him in the small of his back. He wobbled.

"Want another?"

Two. This time is struck his shoulder.

"I haven't been using my throwing arm, you know…"

Three. The ankle-hit caused him to finally topple over. The balls began showering down, each one coming faster and faster and faster and –

"_**STOP IT!"**_

An explosion erupted around the huddled ball that was their victim, blowing the gang of miniscule miscreants every which way. Tanaki-sensei rushed over.

"What is going on here?!"

The boy stood, breathing heavily, a watermelon clasped in his hand. He could feel the dirt from the rubble on his face and the sweat as it rolled down his cheek. Despite the pain in his limbs – as though liquid fire was coursing through his veins – he was grinning.

"My name is _Urizane_. And don't you forget it!"

* * *

Aw. Urizane needs more love.

Anyway... this fic is drawing to a close, my dear friends! Expect another chapter or two before the end.


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